The Sick King
by crazedgurl847
Summary: Fluffy Yuuram. What will Wolfram do when he finds out Yuuri is sick? If you don't like shounen-ai, please don't read it. :D Chapter three is up! *The rating has been changed to T, just in case.
1. Chapter 1

Hello, all! Please enjoy this little ficcy I made. It's a first attempt, so feel free to give constructive criticism. Just no flames, please. -smiles-

**Disclaimer: (I've seen enough of these, so I'm guessing I'd better have one too.) I absolutely do not own Kyou Kara Maou or any of its characters. It rightfully belongs to Tomo Takabayashi. I would have Yuuri and Wolfram doing so much more if I was the owner. xD**

In case you're wondering, thoughts are in _Italics_. Also, a few emphasized words are Italicized.

* * *

The Sick King

"… Ngh…" The noise was small, almost inaudible, but it did not go unheard by a certain blonde prince. Wolfram smiled slightly through his closed eyes; he had a good idea of who was making the sound and why. Yuuri was such an easy, wimpy target that Wolfram would often kick his fiancée even in his sleep. Wolfram was expecting a heated remark on his sleeping habits by the king, but after hearing none, the young blonde inched his way towards Yuuri's side of the bed and peeked over the edge.

"Yuuri?"

It was another ordinary morning in Shin Makoku… At least that's what Wolfram thought it would be. Lying on the floor in a tangled mess, Yuuri let out another strained groan. His face was kissing the floor and his pajamas were covered with sweat.

The grogginess Wolfram had suddenly left him, as he jerked upwards and leapt from the bed.

"Yuuri! Are you okay?" The blonde knelt down to Yuuri's level, wasting no time in ripping off the sheets that fell off the bed with him. Yuuri managed to turn his head slightly in Wolfram's direction, his face scrunched up in a tight grimace. The Maou's skin was a shade paler than it normally was, and Wolfram couldn't help but feel bad for him. He looked even more pathetic than usual.

After a quick inspection, Wolfram sighed in relief upon finding no wounds on his fiancée. He carefully turned Yuuri over, ignoring the complaints and threats of being vomited on. The prince then began to lean into Yuuri's face, which didn't make him feel much better.

"W-what are you doing?" Yuuri asked, trying to suppress both the vomit and the blush that was crawling up his face.

"I'm checking to see if you have a fever, you wimp."

"…" Yuuri stayed still – as still as he could – as Wolfram pressed his forehead against the king's. If he wasn't feeling so crappy, he would've flinched at the blonde's reaction. Wolfram's eyes widened, his head gingerly tilted back, – as if any sudden movements would hurt Yuuri – and his jaw dropped slightly.

"You're burning up…" Wolfram's voice was quiet, which made Yuuri wonder if his sickness was somehow getting to the blonde too. Before he could voice a reply, the black haired demon found himself being heaved onto the bed. The soft mattress felt much more comfortable than the ground and he managed to relax a little more.

"Stay here. I'll be right back," Wolfram seemed unusually calm as he walked out the door to retrieve Gisela. Not to mention, he would have to explain to the rest of the castle that the king was too sick to work for the day. It wouldn't be long before the overdramatic pedophile squeezed the living daylights out of 'his' Yuuri and it would be better if it happened sooner rather than later.

… Not that Yuuri would ever accept Wolfram as his fiancée…

Yuuri coughed as Wolfram left the room. "Of course I won't go anywhere…" he muttered, rolling his eyes at the blonde's retreating figure.

* * *

"I'm just a little sick, is all..." Yuuri didn't even know why he bothered to try talking, since everyone was ignoring him anyway. If he was well enough to think clearly, then he couldn't be 'that' sick… Right?

"Oh, your majesty!" Günter wailed, "How could I let this happen to you?!" He was being restrained by Gwendal and Conrad, who did not want the administrator to hug Yuuri and get sick as well. Concern was etched into both of the brothers' faces, but they remained calm, as usual. While this was going on, Gisela was giving Yuuri a diagnosis.

"He has the flu," she stated finally, "It should clear up in a few days…" Her father nearly fainted.

"The flu? This is terrible!" Günter dramatically fell to his knees, sobbing. Another wrinkle made its way to Gwendal's forehead. '_Guess that means more paperwork for me…'_ he thought tiredly.

Gisela saw this as a good opportunity to leave. "Please excuse me, your majesty…" With a polite bow, she quickly left her father to blubber on the floor. Yuuri sighed, watching her leave. He wished he could somehow sneak out of the room, too… But at least it was the flu, and not some weird, Shin Makoku disease.

Wolfram was stationed next to the bed, his back resting against the wall. His arms were folded across his chest, a normal stance for the prince, and he looked like he was thinking about something… Yuuri wondered what it was.

"Please allow me to take care of Yuuri while he's sick," Wolfram finally said. All eyes turned to him.

"What?" Günter asked, ending his sobbing fit, "What could you possibly know about medicine?" The stares that Gwendal and Conrad gave off seemed to be asking the same question.

"Julia taught me more than you might think," The blonde huffed, insulted. That earned him a surprised look from Conrad.

Yuuri shifted uncomfortably under his covers. He remembered going into the past, with the ramen bowl-demon-mirror-thing, and Julia was tutoring him during the war. It's no wonder that no one else knew about it; no one else was there. And he distinctly remembered that Wolfram was in no way interested in studying at the time. He figured that Wolfram was using the education to his advantage now.

There was an uncomfortable silence, before Conrad spoke up. "I think we should let Wolfram do what he wants,"

"…" Was Gwendal's response. In other words, he had no objections. Günter, who was most against the idea from the start, had no choice but to allow it.

"If anyone needs me, I'll be in the library," Günter muttered, which was the closest possible thing he could give as an approval. He cast a Yuuri a longing look, before finally slinking out of the room.

Wolfram gave off what Yuuri guessed to be a victory smirk, before he also began heading for the door. "I'm going to get Yuuri something to eat," he said casually, then left the room for the second time that day. Gwendal began to follow his brother. "I have a lot of the maou's paperwork to do," He stated flatly, putting the guilt trip on Yuuri, then also disappeared. Conrad was the last to depart, giving Yuuri a bow and a "Get well soon, your majesty", which Yuuri immediately corrected by making Conrad drop the formalities and call him by his first name. Conrad was his godfather, after all. Not only that, but he was the one who gave Yuuri his name. Conrad responded with the usual, "Of course, Yuuri," and left Yuuri to his lonesome.

Another uncomfortable silence filled the room, and the king used his time alone to toss off the covers. He was burning up, as Wolfram had put it earlier, and the covers were making it that much worse. At least he could trust the blonde to know at little about sicknesses… Although it was pretty obvious he was sick in the first place… Yuuri flopped onto his side, trying to get more comfortable, and also to find a cooler spot on the bed. He tried to sit up, but found it was much more difficult to do than usual. He forced himself to at least get on all fours and crawl to the other side of the bed – Wolfram's side. Finally reaching his destination, Yuuri allowed his tired limbs to give out from under him, and he felt a whirlwind of cool mattress as his body collided with it. The mattress felt like heaven under his body, which made him smile with satisfaction.

Yuuri suppressed a cough that was tickling his throat before Wolfram returned with some soup.

"Feeling any better?" He asked, making his way toward the bed. He paused, mildly surprised to find Yuuri resting on his side of the bed. Yuuri simply nodded in response: an obvious lie. He feared talking would only encourage a cough to come out. Wolfram glanced from the bed to the covers on the floor and scoffed.

"Wimp! What did you do while I was gone?" The prince set Yuuri's soup down on a nearby counter, and, after gathering up the blankets, tossed them back on the bed.

"… Don't… Call me a wimp…" Yuuri seemed to have trouble arguing with Wolfram, and he decided against telling the blonde anything more. Instead of one of his usual, angry responses, Wolfram gave him a slightly worried look.

"If you kick all the blankets off, you'll never get any better," he huffed, busying himself by tucking Yuuri back in.

"… Easy for you to say…." Did Wolfram really know what he was doing? Didn't he know that putting blankets on someone who was hot would only make them hotter? Meanwhile, Wolfram had turned his attention back to the soup.

"Do you think you can stomach some of this?"

"I can't… It's-"Yuuri's statement was cut short by a few coughs, "… Too hot…."

"Then I'll blow on it for you," That solution seemed simple enough. To demonstrate, Wolfram dipped his spoon into the hot liquid and blew the steam away. He then sampled it, making sure that it wouldn't burn Yuuri's mouth at that temperature.

"Here."

Yuuri was dumbstruck. Why did Wolfram have to put his mouth on the spoon? As Wolfram himself had mentioned before, that was considered an indirect kiss, and Yuuri did _not_ want that to happen any time soon. He slowly gazed up at the blonde's face, and his eyes quickly spotted a speck of pink on the cheeks.

So he knew! Wolfram knew exactly what he was doing, and he was deliberately trying to make Yuuri… He cringed.

"What's wrong?" Wolfram asked, noticing that Yuuri had neglected to take a bite, or even give him a response.

Yuuri began shaking his head furiously, which made him extremely dizzy. There was _no way_ that he was going to eat off that spoon.

"Okay, I get it! You're not hungry… Just calm down…" Wolfram said, hoping that something he said could make Yuuri stop before he hurt himself. So his plan had failed… He knew that Yuuri would be reluctant, but was it really that terrible just for him to eat off the same spoon? It was just a spoon; it's not like it was going to hurt him or anything!

Yuuri had abruptly stopped shaking his head once he had heard Wolfram's 'Okay'. Although the room was still spinning a little, he could make out the shape of the pissed off looking blonde who was glaring daggers at the wall. "Wolf… Ram?" He asked slowly. His throat seemed to be getting worse.

Wolfram stood up, walked around to the other side of the bed, and took something off of a counter. He was not in a good mood, but he wasn't about to take all his anger on the poor wimp. His fist tightened around the object, almost breaking it, as he returned to his seat by Yuuri's bed. He took the spoon and wiped it off with a nearby cloth; then filled it with a new, greenish substance from the bottle he had taken from the table.

"This is the medicine that Gisela made for your illness…"

Yuuri gave Wolfram a blank look, "But-"

"Just shut up and take it."

"Okay…" Hesitantly, Yuuri downed the nasty medicine and nearly gagged on it. Even in Shin Makoku, medicine tasted bad. A cough forced its way to his throat, and Yuuri thought the medicine was coming with it.

Wolfram watched as his fiancée pitifully struggled with the cough.

"Does it hurt anywhere?" He asked, even though the answer was obvious. Yuuri merely pointed to his throat and gave Wolfram an apologetic smile. Why was Yuuri smiling now, of all times? People don't smile when they get hurt!

… Yuuri probably just didn't want him to worry.

But he was worried. He'd always be worried, especially now since Yuuri was hurting. Yuuri didn't deserve this... He was such a good person; even the humans thought so.

A horrid sounding cough snapped Wolfram out of his thoughts. He sighed, giving Yuuri a look that said 'You're so pitiful' then smiled. It was time to put Julia's teachings to use. The blonde gently placed a hand on Yuuri's throat, and an unearthly, green glow appeared.

Yuuri was surprised, to say in the least. He felt his body tense up, then immediately relax at the touch. Wolfram's hand was nice and cool, and his neck was tingling from the healing magic. His cough began to subside, and he had to admit that he was feeling a little better. The teen's eyes drifted from the blonde's head to his arm, to the faint green light almost hanging below his vision. Then they slowly shut.

Wolfram continued to pour healing magic into his fiancée's throat, until he felt Yuuri's head loll to one side. It took all of what the blonde had to keep himself from grinning; Yuuri had a terrible habit of looking vulnerable. He guessed that Gisela's medicine had some sort of drowsy effect. It was a good thing Günter's daughter had decided to add those ingredients, whether she needed them or not. Knowing Yuuri, he would've faked good health, and probably would've ended up hurting himself somehow. The blonde's hand glided to Yuuri's face and he tenderly stroked the king's face. He still felt warm.

"Hurry up and get better already," Wolfram huffed impatiently, more to himself than anyone else. His hand lingered on Yuuri's face for a little longer. _Just a little longer…_ What was Yuuri dreaming about, he wondered? Wolfram hovered over Yuuri's face, desperately trying to resist the urge to kiss it.

It was at that moment that Yuuri let out a long sigh that only seemed to tempt him more; his warm breath gently tickled the blonde's cheek, which quickly turned pink. Wolfram's face scrunched up in annoyance, as he forced himself away from Yuuri. That's right! Yuuri had a fever! He needed something to cool down with… But the Maou wasn't the only one feeling uncomfortably warm at the moment.

He would go get Yuuri a damp cloth… That's it… It would only be for a few moments, and it would give his head all the time it needed to cool down.

Wolfram was about to walk away from the bed, when he felt an arm – said arm belonging to Yuuri – grasping onto the sleeve of his shirt. He slowly turned, barely able to disguise the nervousness that was eating him up inside. Yuuri's eyes were still tightly shut, but he had a pained expression on his face.

"Don't… Go…" Wolfram was only able to make out those two words through the incoherent piffle that Yuuri was mumbling. "… Wolf…"

Wolfram's face had succeeded in taking on the color of a tomato. Just _what_ was the teen dreaming about? He stared at the arm connected to his sleeve, and decided that he wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon. Well, as long as he was going to do nothing, he might as well make himself comfortable. Wolfram moved his hand down to clasp Yuuri's fist. Then, as quietly as he could, Wolfram climbed in next to the double black, his face to Yuuri's back. The mattress made a tiny squeak, and the blonde timidly glanced at the teen for a response.

Yuuri didn't budge. If anything, he relaxed more when Wolfram encircled his arms around his waist. When he woke up, he probably wouldn't be so relaxed… Wolfram knew that _all_ too well. Well, he might as well enjoy himself until then. If Yuuri got angry with him, he could simply inquire about the teen's dream and be honest.

Yuuri would _have_ to trust him. Wolfram _was_ his fiancée, after all. The blonde quietly nuzzled Yuuri's neck, and the last thing he remembered was hearing both of their soft breaths syncing into one.

* * *

When Yuuri felt his consciousness gripping at him, he felt a warm and comfortable something on his back. He backed up and snuggled against it; the 'something' responded by wrapping its arms tighter around his waist. _It's probably just Greta…_ The teen thought innocently enough.

He was about to attempt to go back to sleep – he was still pretty tired for some reason he wasn't sure of – when he heard the 'something' let out a rather loud snore. The noise startled Yuuri into snapping his eyes open; Greta did _not_ snore. That only meant…

"W-WOLFRAM!"

Yuuri scrambled to get out of the bed, but to no avail. Wolfram had a death grip on his waist. Said blonde, who had thoroughly enjoyed the snuggle earlier, slowly opened his eyes.

"Y-yuuri?" He mumbled, sounding as sleepy and innocent as he could manage, "What's wrong?"

Instead of a verbal response, Yuuri stared pointedly at their position with a semi-annoyed, semi-embarrassed look. Wolfram suddenly remembered what had happened before he fell asleep, and turned beet red.

"You…" Wolfram started, slipping his arms back to his side, "You were having a bad dream… Although that's no surprise, wimp." Satisfied with himself, Wolfram finished off his act by crossing his arms and letting out a 'humph'.

Yuuri temporarily forgot his anger to ponder the dream he'd had. "That's right... I was being chased by wolves…" Yuuri paused long enough to see an extremely disappointed look plastered on Wolfram's face.

"Wolfram?"

"It's nothing! Just continue your story," Wolfram snapped. His disappointment seemed to switch to anger pretty quickly.

Yuuri simply nodded and decided it was best to do what his fiancée wanted. "As I was running away from the wolves, I felt someone grab my hand…" the teen didn't know why he was telling Wolfram this, or why he even had an interest in his dream at all. In all honesty, he felt a little silly.

"Who was it?" Wolfram asked, slightly hiding his face under the pillow.

Yuuri smiled before resuming, "It was… An _angel_…"

Face now completely concealed by the pillow, Wolfram shakily continued prodding Yuuri.

"Then what happened?"

"Hm… I don't really remember anything else…" Yuuri thought for a moment, and suddenly, he coughed.

Wolfram nearly shot out of the bed in surprise; he'd completely forgotten that Yuuri was sick!

"Ah, Yuuri! Are you okay?" With an outstretched hand, he felt for a fever; there was none. The blonde let out a long sigh. "Don't scare me like that!"

Yuuri mumbled something along the lines of 'It's not like I meant to' and stuck a playful tongue at the demon boy. He received a boyish smirk at the notion. "Anyway, I _do_ feel a lot better… I'm still a little tired, though."

"Go back to sleep, then," Wolfram stated simply. Despite that the sun had risen long ago and was at its peak, he had to admit that he was also tired. The sunlight had found its way around the curtains and streamed into the room, making a painful glare when Wolfram tried to stare at the window. Hesitantly, the blonde crawled his way off the mattress and shuffled to the curtains. Reaching the glass, Wolfram squinted and glanced down, just in time to see his brother frantically eluding a red head who was hot on his heels. Günter lagged behind, uncertain to whether he should aid the general or not. The prince sighed and closed the drapes; just watching the chase put him a little on edge. The room turned a few shades darker.

By the time Wolfram turned to get back in bed, Yuuri had turned his back to the sun and squeezed his eyes shut. Wolfram slunk under the covers, the mattress making another loud squeak from his weight. _I'm not _that_ heavy!_

Yuuri felt the bed sink a little, and for some odd reason, he sensed a smile forming on his lips. By himself, the bed _did_ seem large and empty; but with Wolfram there, it was warm and sometimes even crowded.

… But he only liked Wolfram's company because he was comfortable – certainly not because he was attracted to him… Yuuri lay on the bed for a few moments, almost like he was anticipating something.

Instead of a familiar foot-in-the-face, he felt a pair of arms snake around his waist. The teen immediately tensed, as if the arms were squeezing the air out of him. However, after the initial shock of the contact, Yuuri decided to let it go. It would only be this once.

The lazy couple soon drifted off comfortably.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed! If you want, I could turn this into a chapter fanfiction, but I guess you have to ask first? :D I don't want to post a story if no one will read it.


	2. Chapter 2: The Drunk King

Yay! Chapter two is up! I'm so excited!

**Thank you so much to: prima, KZiva, eclst, XZanayu, emerusmerlinus, Xeohe, Naru Asakura, VickyValross, and Dia-chan87 for all your wonderful reviews! :D**

To be honest, I really didn't think I'd get any reviews, so I feel really special. And since you asked, here's chapter two! I apologize if it's not as good as the first one, but here it is. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: Kyou Kara Maou belongs to Tomo Takabayashi. She's much more awesome than me... xD**

* * *

Chapter 2: The Drunk King

It was a few days later, and Yuuri had received a clean bill of health from Gisela, much to everyone's delight… Everyone's except Wolfram's, that is.

Ever since that cozy day they spent sleeping together – during which, the whole castle nearly collapsed after rumors spread that they were 'snuggling' – Yuuri had not so much as uttered a word to the prince. Much less, it seemed like the Maou was _avoiding_ him, leaving promptly to 'take care of some other business', whenever Wolfram entered the same room. In the night hours, Yuuri would curl up into a ball and inch as far away from him as possible. It was slowly becoming unbearable.

Wolfram decided to give the teen his space. Maybe, eventually, Yuuri would talk to him after the constant gossiping and chattering ceased.

_Maybe._

But was it really that big of a deal? The two had been engaged forever – not only that, but when the hell were they going to get married? – And wasn't that what couples did? More importantly, wasn't that what _married _couples did?

_Sigh._

Wolfram was sitting in the library, blankly staring at a book that he had yet to read the title of. Later in the evening, the castle was celebrating the return of Yuuri's good health and his return to work. Yuuri wasn't too excited about the latter and everyone knew it; he wasn't known to keep his complaints from people.

"… Wolfram." The blonde blinked, but gave no other sign of recognition.

"_Wolfram._"

"Huh?" Wolfram glanced up and found he was face-to-face with Conrad.

"Wolfram, is something bothering you?" The swordsman smiled kindly at his younger brother, who retorted with a glare.

"It's nothing you should concern yourself with, Weller-kyo. And why aren't you off with Yuuri somewhere?" Wolfram hissed. No matter how much he hated to admit it, Yuuri seemed to trust Conrad more than anyone… And that 'anyone' included himself. Seeing Conrad around with no Yuuri was just unusual.

"His Majesty wished to be alone for a while, so I went to check on you. Gwendal thought you looked upset."

"I don't need anyone's pity!" _Especially not yours!_ Wolfram angrily slammed his unread book down – probably an overreaction to the current situation – and stomped out of the room. He wasn't a kid anymore! Although he was the youngest brother, he certainly didn't feel the need to be treated like 

one. Wolfram was a prince – a demon prince at that – and the Maou's fiancée! With that being said, he deserved the upmost respect. But there Conrad was, treating him like a baby.

Conrad stood still in his spot, staring down at the book Wolfram was 'reading'. A smile was still clearly written on his face.

"Maybe I was wrong to worry…"

After his moment of rage, Wolfram continued to tromp down the hall. His heavy boots, plus the weight of his muscles pounding the ground, made his presence known by every guard in the castle. _Thump, thump, thump!_ Scuff marks on the wooden floor left a trail that no one dared to follow. He wanted to be alone. He wanted the rumors to stop. But most of all, he wanted Yuuri…

As the prince continued down the corridors, he spotted two of the maids whispering in hushed voices to each other. Once within earshot, he managed to make out the words 'Yuuri' and 'bed'. One of them giggled. Wolfram passed by, his green eyes sending an intense scowl in their direction. It was exactly what he didn't want to hear.

One of the maids blushed and covered her mouth. The other made a small 'Eep!' and promptly returned to whatever cleaning duties they supposed to be doing. Wolfram continued on his path of destruction until he reached his and Yuuri's bedroom.

The door slammed shut with a resounding 'Bang!' due to Wolfram using too much force on it… And then he broke down. The coldness in his eyes that was used on the maids became blurred over with fat tears. Wolfram didn't understand just _why_ he was crying. He profusely tried to wipe away at the small drops with his sleeve, but the harder he tried, the more came streaming down his face. Eventually, the shirt sleeve became moist and tear-stained. _At least no one can see me like this…_ The blonde wobbled toward the bed and plopped himself down on it, trying to think of a way to calm down. He was being irrational.

Meanwhile, Yuuri was busy investigating some noises he heard earlier. During his study session with Günter, there had been three distinct interruptions: the sound of someone yelling, a loud stomping that went just by the door – but without a window, neither he nor Günter knew who it was – and the faint sound of someone slamming a door shut. After the incident, the teen was having trouble concentrating and had decided to take a break… Either that or he was just using it as an excuse.

Yuuri wasn't stupid. He had a pretty basic idea of who it was. Actually, it wasn't much of a surprise. He just didn't know why. What would Wolfram get so worked up about?

Come to think of it, it didn't take much to set off Wolfram. He was like a lighted stick of dynamite.

Once the door to the study was opened and Yuuri peered outside, he noticed something different. In the clean hallway, there was a small patch where the wood was less shiny than the rest of the floor. It wasn't really just a small mark. There were a dozen small marks put together, making a line. Yuuri glanced to the left, then the right. If he continued left, then he would end up passing the door to the library. But if he took the right path, then it would lead… Directly to _his_ bedroom… On a hunch, Yuuri 

took the path to the right. He followed the trail until it suddenly ended. A little farther ahead, he found the maids cleaning up the little dull blotches.

As soon as they heard footsteps, the two shot up and stepped aside, allowing Yuuri to pass. Something seemed odd about that… Usually, the maids were more relaxed, and they would normally talk about things that the teen would rather not repeat. Nonetheless, Yuuri politely thanked them as usual and continued walking. He didn't need the trail anyway.

Yuuri was about to burst into the room and ask Wolfram what the hell was wrong with him, when he heard an unusual sound… It sounded like sniffling… Wait, was that a hiccup?

_... Maybe it's Greta…_ But the last time Yuuri had guessed Greta was in bed with him, he had been terribly wrong. There was a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, but at the same time, he was curious. Warily, the teen turned the doorknob and poked his head through.

There he was: Beautiful blonde hair, soft green eyes, pale and milky skin. Yuuri had to admit that Wolfram was attractive, and he could probably make just about any girl on the planet – this one, or on Earth – happy. Even a few of the guys would give him some suggestive stares… Yuuri wasn't one of them.

Something was wrong. Strands of blonde hair were pasted to his face. The eyes that usually had a defiant, proud look to them were now red and puffy. His cheeks glistened from the tears running down his face.

"Wolfram… What's wrong?" Yuuri asked, barely even able to speak. He was a little more than surprised. Wolfram seemed to be wearing the same expression.

"Y-yuuri… I…" The prince whipped his head around, hiding his face from view. "… It's nothing…"

"_Nothing?_" Yuuri echoed, "How can you say it's _nothing?_" He wandered to the bed, where Wolfram was sitting, and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. Wolfram stiffened. "Wolfram, if something's wrong, then you can tell me."

Wolfram slowly shook his head. Yuuri wouldn't understand and neither did he. The blonde was a trained soldier. He shouldn't be so soft! The Maou had changed him, and he knew it.

Yuuri grasped Wolfram's other shoulder with his free hand and forced the blonde to look him in the face. Wolfram had stopped crying, but he still made a few sniffling noises and a thin line of bright pink began to form on his cheeks. Frowning at his friend's state, Yuuri wiped the tears off his delicate face.

Wolfram pulled away.

"So, _now_ you pay attention to me, after you've been avoiding me all this time??" He sounded angry, but hurt.

"…" That was true. Yuuri _had_ been avoiding him, even if it was just a little. Wolfram seemed to pay attention to every single thing the teen did.

It wasn't like Yuuri didn't like Wolfram, or anything. Of course he was a good friend. And those rumors… They were too much for Yuuri to handle. If Yuuri eluded Wolfram enough so that nothing happened, then there would be no more rumors. It was as simple as that. But Wolfram's feelings made everything complicated. The demon king had no idea what was going on in that head of his. If avoiding him had hurt his feelings that much… _I'm so sorry…_

"Wolfram…" Yuuri started. He was going to apologize; for once he was the one who was in the wrong.

Before Yuuri had a chance to say any more, he noticed Wolfram had already stood up and was headed for the exit. He paused at the doorway.

"Look, I've had enough embarrassment for today. I just want to be alone right now." And with that, he turned the corner and disappeared.

Yuuri stared at the open door, then the empty space next to him. For some reason, he felt terribly lonely. A twinge of guilt was also tugging at his conscious. Wolfram could have his space for now, and he'd find a good time to apologize. "I really _am_ sorry."

* * *

The preparations for the party were complete, and the only one who had yet to arrive was the king himself. Normally, the Maou would be the last to be introduced to the party anyway, so all the guests would be there to greet him – or her, whichever case it may be. But since his encounter with Wolfram, Yuuri had completely forgotten about the celebration, and he was running late.

The guests were being patient; some made small talk in hushed voices, while others waited silently. Yuuri emerged from two huge oak doors, his cape was on backwards – it was a traditional garment – his hair was in a mess, and he seemed out of breath. Hastily, the disorganized king scrambled to the center of the room and made a short speech welcoming everyone and thanking them for their patience.

Everyone applauded the speech; especially Günter, who was moved to tears. Yuuri sighed in exasperation. _The same Günter, as always…_ Instead of heading toward the administrator, he turned toward his fencing mentor, Conrad. Meanwhile, Gwendal eyed them coldly from across the room.

"Good evening, Your Majesty." Yuuri smiled slightly from the greeting. The middle brother was definitely the easiest to get along with.

"It's Yuuri. _Yuuri!_"

"Of course, _Yuuri_." There was a short, almost uncomfortable pause.

"… By the way, have you seen Wolfram anywhere?"

Much to Yuuri's disappointment, Conrad shook his head.

"I'm sure he's around her somewhere, though." He gave Yuuri an encouraging smile. His eyes trailed from Yuuri to Gwendal, to a crowd of men in one corner of the room. The teen took that as a hint.

First, Yuuri meandered to the stoic Mazoku who was standing at the wine table, glass in hand. Gwendal saw him coming. He grunted, which Yuuri had assumed was his way of greeting. Yuuri picked up a glass, trying not to be conspicuous, and returned Gwendal's acknowledgment with a small "Hi".

Out of all the people in Shin Makoku, the general seemed to contradict himself more than anyone else. Gwendal had a cold, hard exterior. The few times that he did speak, his voice was low, with a tone of authority that demanded respect. The man was also built. However, on the inside, he secretly – or maybe not so secretly – liked fuzzy animals and knitting.

"… Have you seen Wolfram?" Yuuri inquired, since Gwendal opted not to speak.

Gwendal raised a skeptical eyebrow at the question. Since when was Yuuri looking for Wolfram? Normally, the blonde would trail Yuuri like a puppy: an angry, jealous puppy. He also shared the big innocent eyes and cute traits of a puppy.

"Did something happen?" He asked, thinking that he may be able to pry some answers out of Yuuri. Although he seemed nonchalant, the general wanted to aid his little brother.

Yuuri didn't meet Gwendal's gaze. "Not really…" He faked a casual shrug and absent-mindedly took a sip of the wine. It didn't taste half bad.

His suspicions were raised, but Gwendal decided not to force the king to say anything.

"I haven't seen him," Gwendal said finally.

Yuuri's shoulders sagged a little and he took another swig of the wine.

"Alright. I'm going to go look for him." Before Yuuri left the wine table, he finished the first glass and had gotten himself a refill.

The crowd of young men confused the teen a little. Was he supposed to find Wolfram there? Had Conrad merely glanced toward the group out of curiosity, or was he trying to tell Yuuri to look there? It couldn't hurt to look, so Yuuri headed there next.

Cautiously, Yuuri managed to squeeze through the crowd enough to see who was in the center and taking up all the attention. He nearly smacked himself.

Confidently perched in a fancy chair surrounded by flowers and chocolates sat a beautiful person with blonde hair and seductive green eyes. It was none other than… Cheri. She seemed pretty busy at the moment, with men speaking to her from all different directions. Yuuri didn't want to bother her, lest she decided to smother him with her ample bosom and cause all the people crowded around her to become enraged – not to mention he would be extremely embarrassed.

But before he could slink away unnoticed, he heard an enticing "Oh, Yuuri-heika!" and felt something squish against the back of his head. At least he wasn't being suffocated. However, now he could clearly see the envious faces of all the males in the room that seemed to say 'you won't be king much longer if you keep that up'. The teen broke into a nervous sweat.

"Ah! Cheri-sama!" Someone called and pulled her away from the Maou. It was Günter. "Please don't embrace His Majesty like that. You could be putting his life in danger!" He broke into a dramatic sobbing fit at the thought of the king being killed by an angry mob of fan boys.

Günter seemed to be envious of the wrong person in this situation.

"Aw, Günter, you're no fun!" Cheri pouted in her flirty voice, causing all the guys to use the opportunity and approach her with lines like 'I can be loads of fun!'

Yuuri silently thanked the administrator and snuck away, before any more trouble could arise. When the teen thought he was safe, he idled back to the wine table for another refill. Gwendal was no longer there.

He still had plenty of places to look; the room was enormous and packed with nobles and wealthy people. _Wait… What was I looking for again?_

It had been a few minutes since Yuuri had taken his first taste of alcohol, and it was just beginning to make its way into his blood stream. He may have been the Maou, but he was still a sixteen year old boy. He was drinking underage. Well, technically, that only applied on Earth. In Shin Makoku, he was considered an adult, so it was okay… Hopefully.

* * *

Wolfram paced around the room aimlessly. He knew Yuuri was bound to find him eventually. The prince wasn't sure how he was going to face the king, especially since he had fled from the bedroom _crying_. _Who's the real wimp here?_ He thought bitterly to himself. Yuuri would certainly be worried, but he didn't want to reveal the real reason why he was upset. To put it simply, it would've been much more convenient if the teen had never showed up when he did.

The blonde ended up finding Yuuri first, slouching in front of a table. He was alone, which was a little surprising – he'd been the reason for the party in the first place. Feeling eyes on him, Yuuri turned, and Wolfram was baffled to find the teen grinning and waving madly at him. He slowly approached Yuuri, almost as if he was afraid of being confronted. As soon as the prince was within range, Yuuri bent his knees and flung himself at Wolfram. He certainly was _not_ expecting that.

Taken by surprise, Wolfram lost his balance and collapsed with Yuuri toppling on him.

"Hi, Wolfram!" Yuuri laughed.

This was _bad_. There they were in the middle of a crowded room, with the teen on top of him. Yuuri was pushing down on all the wrong places, making the blonde's face turn red with embarrassment. There was nowhere to hide his face now.

"Kya! Look at the Maou and Wolfram-sama!" Someone called.

"What? What are they doing?" Someone else asked. A huge flock gathered around them, larger than Cheri's own crowd of men.

Yuuri was oblivious to all the attention and stayed put, smiling down at a red-faced Wolfram. Wolfram responded by squirming out from under Yuuri and scrambling to his feet. Some people in the crowd gave a few disappointed 'Aw's. The blonde scowled at everyone who came into eye contact with him, but he hardly seemed threatening with his cheeks flushing and a completely embarrassed look. He was helpless!

They had to get out of there. Wolfram swiftly grabbed Yuuri's arm and dragged him off the floor to the nearest exit. The teen giggled and stumbled along the way, but Wolfram managed to get them through the doors and round the corner without much trouble. His adrenaline was pumping too fast, and his heart was beating wildly.

Out of the range of everyone's ears and eyes, Wolfram forcefully turned Yuuri to face him.

"What do you think you were doing?! Do you have _any_ idea of how humiliated I am?!" His voice cracked slightly.

Yuuri gave Wolfram a blank look; his brain was unable to comprehend what he had just said. He suddenly smiled. "Wolfram, did I tell you that you look preeetty?"

"What are you…?" Wolfram paused, realization finally dawning on him, "Yuuri, you _reek_ of alcohol!" Now it made sense. All that craziness was the wine talking. That also meant that the real Yuuri meant none of it…

Yuuri, who was having trouble keeping on his feet, leaned heavily against Wolfram for support. He was starting to get tired.

Even knowing that Yuuri was intoxicated, the contact still made Wolfram blush. "C-come on…" The blonde said a little uncertainly, "Let's get that alcohol smell off of you." He started to walk off, but noticed that Yuuri was wobbling in the other direction. "Hey! Where are you going?" Wolfram turned and lifted the teen up, bridal style, to make sure he didn't wander off anywhere. _It's just because I have to…_ He thought, hiding a smile.

Yuuri wriggled in the blonde's hold, making it difficult for Wolfram to walk properly. Then, out of nowhere, the teen wrapped his arms around Wolfram's neck and snuggled into his chest. Wolfram fought to maintain his composure. He nervously glanced around and sighed; thank Shinou there was no one to see that!

The blonde continued down the hall without any more incidents, and stopped at the door to the baths. He somehow managed to get it open while keeping a hold on Yuuri. The teen would thank him later – he would certainly be ashamed of himself for drinking, if he remembered any of it. Wolfram would make sure he wouldn't forget.

Wolfram strode to the edge of the water and hesitantly set Yuuri down.

"Now, stay put." The blonde commanded. He hated to leave Yuuri, even if it was only for a moment, but he _was_ a little heavy.

Wolfram left promptly to retrieve some soap and towels, along with a change of clothes. He wanted to get back as quickly as possible; who knows what Yuuri would do by himself? That thought pushed him to go faster. _Why did Yuuri drink alcohol? Did he know what he was doing?_ Maybe it was Wolfram's fault. He _had_ stormed off without an explanation. Did that mean that Yuuri was worried about him?

Once Wolfram had returned, he looked to see how Yuuri was doing. Everything he was holding dropped to the floor. The top of Yuuri's head was barely visible over the bath water, which was swirling into a whirlpool.

"YUURI!" Without another thought, the blonde dove into the water and found Yuuri's hand. He grasped it as tight as he could and hoped for the best, as the two of them were sucked into darkness.

* * *

Haha, sorry! I couldn't help it. I had to put in a cliff hanger. xD Please don't be too mad...

And if you have any suggestions, I would be glad to listen to them! Just press the 'submit review' button in the lower left hand corner... ;D


	3. Chapter 3: The Hangover King?

Gah! I finally finished! I'm so sorry for the long wait... Dx;; I was busy with school, and then hurricane Ike swept through and knocked the power out for a week. Then I felt bad for taking so long, and decided to make the chapter longer. It probably would've been even longer, but I found a pretty good stopping place.

But I'm just making excuses.;; Seriously, I'm a really bad procrastinator. I apologize. Please forgive me!

**A great big thank you to: prima, KZiva, eclst, XZanayu, emerusmerlinus, Xeohe, Naru Asakura, VickyValross, Dia-chan87, XOiHeartMiloOX, 001anonymous, Wolfie fan, hotee39, Lemonpiepie, alice22, riku, kuroneko1571, and Jazzelie! Your reviews are greatly appreciated! ( And I'll try to fill out any requests asked of me )**

The list grew! Hooray!

**Disclaimer: Kyou Kara Maou belongs to Tomo Takabayashi. ( Also, some rights go to Temari Matsumoto, for the character designs.) The only thing I own is my own brain. xD;**

* * *

Chapter 3: The Hangover King?

Wolfram felt cold. The night was chilly, even colder than the last few nights he had spent alone when Yuuri was avoiding him. He opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling, and lazily took note that it was dotted with stars... _Wait, stars?_

The blonde instantly sat up and felt he was sinking into something icy and wet. The sudden impact of frigid water made him shiver violently. His back was soaked, and the dark liquid wrapped itself around his chest and gently rippled out to the water's edge. Wolfram frantically looked around to get his bearings; He was sitting in the middle of a pond. Memories of the party flooded into his mind, the last one being his hand wrapped around Yuuri's in a death grip. He squeezed both his hands, and his left tingled with warmth. Wolfram warily glanced to his left and let out a sigh of relief.

Yuuri was floating safely next to him, eyes shut, but he was trembling. The blonde couldn't blame him. What was this water, zero degrees? Who knows how long they've been floating out here.

Wolfram was in a predicament. He and Yuuri were on Earth, but he had no idea _where_ on Earth. The first thing he had to do was get out of this water. He gingerly nudged the teen on the shoulder.

"Yuuri? Yuuri, can you walk?" Yuuri slowly blinked his onyx eyes open. They widened when he felt the cold, and his teeth suddenly began to chatter.

"W-where are we?"

"You wimp! It took you long enough to wake up," Despite the insult, Wolfram was glad to see his fiancée alert compared to his drunken self. He changed the subject, "Anyways, I have no idea what we're doing here. Let's just get out of this water." He stood up – the water now reaching up to his waist – and began sloshing his way toward the side of the lake closest to him. Yuuri nodded and stumbled after the blonde.

It was only when the two had reached the shallows that Wolfram noticed he had practically dragged the teen out of the water. Not only that, but their hands were still snugly linked together. He stole a glimpse over his shoulder; Yuuri had his usual curious and confused expression. The Maou looked as cute and innocent as a bearbee.

Yuuri himself skimmed the area, his eyes flashing with recognition, "Hey! I know this place!"

"Really? Do you know how to get home from here?" There was a spark of hope.

That spark was rapidly stomped out, when Wolfram felt Yuuri become a dead weight and collapse in the dirt.

"Yuuri?!" Wolfram knelt next to him and wondered how many times he had called the teen's name that night. He had a pulse and was breathing, but he felt unusually cold. The blonde also felt cold and tired, but his training wouldn't allow him to relax until they were both somewhere safe.

Wolfram grasped Yuuri's arms and slung them over his shoulders. Without releasing his grip, he forced himself to his feet. Yuuri's legs dangled limply from the blonde's back, his weight causing Wolfram to stagger backwards. Once the prince regained his balance, he managed to trudge away from the pond, toward what appeared to be lights. A gentle upward slope made it impossible to see what was directly ahead and made it that much more difficult for Wolfram to keep going, but he continued on with determination. Yuuri's body put on an extra strain, but it kept the blonde's back warm; hopefully the Maou was warmed up a little too. The last thing he needed was to be sick again. He finally reached the top, his legs wobbling slightly from the relief of pressure. Aside from a stone path in front of him and many confusing lights and buildings, the place was deserted. How the hell did Yuuri find his way home? That is, if they were in so-called Ja… Jap…

Wolfram just hoped they were there, instead of some other country name that he couldn't pronounce. He stepped onto the dark gray pavement and began following it. It was much more solid than the gravel and dirt roads he was used to. A horse's hooves wouldn't last long on this surface.

Up ahead, Wolfram spotted a glowing red light dangling in the middle of the street. He had seen these briefly before, on one of his journeys with Yuuri to Earth, but he still didn't understand how they worked. Well, a lot of things on Earth didn't make sense to him... He continued staring at the thing, until it transformed into the same bright-green color as his eyes. A loud screech sounded behind the blonde, almost making him leap out of his skin. He swiveled his head toward the noise, a huge object just inches from his face.

"Ah!" Wolfram almost dropped his limp fiancée as he stumbled away from the giant, horseless carriage – he thought he remembered Yuuri calling it a car? His eyes were as wide as saucers.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" The man who appeared to be driving the monster yelled, "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

The prince was too stunned to reply, but too proud to let himself tremble in front of anyone. The stranger hurtled more insults and threats at Wolfram, until his fear subsided and he defiantly glared back at the man.

"What was that, human?" the blonde growled, raising his hand to summon fire magic. His hand sputtered, reminding him that they were on Earth. And on Earth, everywhere was considered human territory, which meant there was no magic for him to use.

Instead, Wolfram resorted to the only thing he could rely on: his sword. He set Yuuri down a safe distance away and yanked the weapon out of its scabbard. Meanwhile, the man calmed down a bit and was about to ask what was wrong with Yuuri, when Wolfram made a sort of battle cry and slammed his sword into the front of his car. The blow managed to leave a large dent in the man's vehicle. He yelped in response and put his foot to the gas, speeding away before the demon could make a victim out of him. Smoke puffed into Wolfram's face, making his features twist in disgust. The car disappeared within seconds.

"Yuuri…" the blonde started, even though he knew the teen couldn't hear him, "Your world is _much_ more dangerous than mine…"

He let Yuuri rest on his back again, piggyback style, and hobbled off the road. There was _no way_ Wolfram was getting anywhere near those Anissina-spawned creatures anytime soon. He continued on for a few moments, seemingly going nowhere. This was pointless.

"… Mm… Wolfram?" Someone mumbled from over his shoulder. The wet body he was carrying began to stir. Relief washed over Wolfram as he recognized the voice.

"Yuuri!" The blonde exclaimed, a little too cheerfully. Yuuri nodded groggily. He normally would've protested against being carried, but his head throbbed so horribly that he thought it might fall off. The teen rested it on Wolfram's powerful but exhausted shoulder, sucking in a deep breath to speak.

"I… I'm sorry…" He croaked. He recalled avoiding the blonde and making him cry. Although he didn't understand what was going on at the moment, Wolfram was still treating him gently like he normally would. Yuuri managed a glimpse toward the demon's face and caught the side of his cheek curved upward into a small smile.

Wolfram's expression quickly changed to a more serious one, as he stared up ahead.

"I don't know how much farther I can keep going…" He was tired enough, waking up in ice water, having to carry Yuuri around, and almost getting hit by a giant rolling monster.

Yuuri blinked, a feeling of sympathy clouding his thoughts. As he clung to Wolfram's dripping uniform, he could feel the blonde's sides heaving. The teen was about to lean backwards and force himself on the ground, trying to get some of the weight off of Wolfram's legs, when he abruptly stopped. Briskly walking out of one of the many buildings was an all-too familiar woman, carrying a bundle of groceries. Wolfram opened his mouth to speak, as did Yuuri.

"Mom!"

Jennifer Shibuya turned her head and nearly dropped the bags onto the concrete.

"Yu-chan! Wol-chan!" She sang, springing toward the two. Yuuri shot her a guilty look. How was he going to explain that Wolfram was carrying him because he got drunk at a party?

But Miko didn't look upset. Instead, she looked strangely happy. As she examined the two, – everyone both entering and exiting the store began examining them too – a mischievous glint made its way into her eyes.

"Oh! Am I interrupting something?" The brunette gave her son a look that said 'Good luck!' and winked at him. Yuuri's eyes widened a little; was he hearing his own mother right?

"N-no!" The teen stuttered, embarrassed, "It's not like that!" Wolfram silently agreed, trying to keep from thinking about the blush forming on his face. That sounded like something _his_ mom would say…

"Mother," Wolfram could see her staring curiously, so he continued, "Yuuri… Isn't feeling too well. Is it alright if we stay with you for a while?"

Jennifer giggled at the question. "Of course I would let my son and his fiancée visit! Come on; I'll take us home." Yuuri's mom started toward her car, humming some kind of cheery tune. Wolfram was about to follow her, but instantly recognized the monster that she was headed for. Angry that another one of those beasts was trying to harm someone close to Yuuri, the demon began to charge toward the vehicle, flinging himself between it and both Yuuri and Jennifer.

"Look out!"

"Ah! Wolfram, what are you doing?!" The teen had to squeeze his fists into the blonde's clothes until his knuckles turned white to keep from slipping off his back. Wolfram fixed the car with the most menacing glare he could manage. The thing didn't flinch or make any other reaction, but he wasn't fooled.

"This thing is dangerous! One of them attacked us!"

"What?!" Yuuri was completely dumbstruck. What the hell was Wolfram talking about? How long had he been unconscious? More importantly, _when_ were they almost hit by a car? He wiggled himself free of Wolfram's grasp – which wasn't too difficult, since the demon's legs already looked like they were going to give way – and blocked his path to the car.

"Wolfram…" Yuuri sighed, slightly annoyed at the blonde's innocence, "Just let me explain."

Said blonde, who had one hand on the hilt of his sword, released his grip and prepared to listen.

"Oh, my! What's going on here??" Jennifer piped up randomly. Yuuri and Wolfram both spun around in surprise; they had completely forgotten she was standing there!

"Are you two having a lover's quarrel?" Both of them almost fell over at the question, but Miko held a stern face.

"NO!" the pair yelped – a little too hastily – in unison, temporarily forgetting what they were actually arguing about. Yuuri felt his face warm when his mom gave him a knowing smile.

"… I'll just explain on the way home…" He muttered to the blonde, still feeling a little uncomfortable at his mother's behavior. Wolfram hesitantly obliged.

Getting a demon, who was used to horse-drawn carriages, into a modern car was not easy; Yuuri concluded. First of all, he absolutely refused getting inside unless the teen was sitting next to him. When that was settled, he stood and stared wide-eyed at the open door until Yuuri finally grew impatient and dragged the stubborn prince in. Once inside Wolfram studied the car's interior. It wasn't _too_ different from what he usually rode in – or the one other car he had been in on Earth – but it would take some getting used to. At least it wasn't a boat.

"Here. Let me help you get the seatbelt on," Yuuri's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"A sea-what?" Wolfram watched as the teen reached across him and pulled out an unusual looking rope from the wall. A piece of metal that was hanging from the gray material buckled into a spot next to him, making a definite 'click'.

"What is this supposed to do?" The blonde inquired, tugging uncomfortably at the strange device.

"It's just there for safety reasons," Yuuri explained casually, clicking his own seatbelt into place. A third click sounded; it was Jennifer. She turned the key in the ignition, and the car rumbled to life. Wolfram immediately stiffened.

"Just relax…" The teen muttered, sensing his tension. He smiled, drawing Wolfram's attention from the vibrations under him to his face. A hand was resting on the back of his head, and he was sitting unusually straight. The position seemed unnatural. Wolfram's eyebrows quirked inquisitively at that.

"Yuuri… Does your head hurt?" Yuuri stared at the floor, his hand following his gaze. When he finally faced Wolfram, a look of resignation crossed his face.

"… How could you tell?" The blonde frowned. Of course Yuuri would still have a hangover. Why hadn't he noticed it sooner? … It was probably because Yuuri never got drunk before. So why did he decide to get drunk anyway?

"You wimp." Wolfram fought against rolling his eyes and placed a hand on Yuuri's forehead. He concentrated on his hand and let out a tiny grunt. Sure enough, what little magic was left managed to channel itself into a flickering, ethereal green light.

Yuuri was surprised. The pain in his head began to ebb away into a comforting numbness. Wolfram's eyes widened as well. He wasn't expecting to be able to do anything, although it didn't hurt to try. His fire magic didn't even work when he needed it… But that was probably because even a wimp like Yuuri could use healing magic, when it was necessary. The blonde decided not to dwell on the subject too much, since Yuuri was looking slightly better, and that was all that mattered.

After a few long seconds – long for Wolfram, anyway – the light began to dim. The demon felt a little light-headed, which made perfect sense, since he didn't have that much strength to begin with. He retracted his hand and glanced away, so Yuuri wouldn't notice. Through the window, objects were zooming by so quickly that Wolfram couldn't even identify them as anything else besides strange moving blobs. Normally, he would've been more surprised, but he didn't have the energy.

"… Wolfram? Are you listening to me?" Apparently, Yuuri had been saying something. Wolfram turned to face him, his tired green eyes struggling to stay open.

"What?"

The teen started talking again; Wolfram didn't catch any of it. Instead of paying attention to his words, the blonde focused on his voice. He sounded confused, but still spoke in that gentle manner that he always did. By the way Yuuri was looking at him, Wolfram could guess that he was being asked a question. Instead of responding, the blonde closed his eyes. Yuuri's voice faded away, along with the car's vibrations and the rest of his surroundings.

"Hey! Don't go to sleep while I'm talking to you!" Yuuri complained. He had been trying to ask the blonde why they were on Earth in the first place. The last thing he remembered from the party was looking for Wolfram and having a little too much wine. He shuddered, trying not to dwell on what he may have done and just couldn't remember. The teen studied Wolfram's condition, and noticed, for the first time, that he looked pretty bedraggled. His outfit was damp with blotches of mud clinging to the knees of his uniform, and the normally silky blonde hair was unkempt and knotted. Yuuri probably didn't look much better. Dodging Shori's questions when they got home was going to be a nightmare.

Jennifer made a sharp left turn and Wolfram's body fell to the right. His head landed on Yuuri's arm – just below his shoulder – causing all of the teen's ideas of what to tell his brother to come to a screeching halt. He froze in his position, the hairs on the back of his neck sticking out like needles. Yuuri prayed to god – and possibly Shinou – that his mom would not look in the rearview mirror and see them. He glared at Wolfram's sleeping form; the blonde always made things difficult for him, whether he was conscious of it or not. Wolfram didn't appear to be comfortable in his position, either. His neck stuck out at a weird angle, almost making it seem disconnected from the rest of his body. Yuuri sighed in exasperation and shrugged his shoulder, so that Wolfram's head was resting on top of it. That looked a little better.

"Aww! You two are just too cute!" It was the last thing Yuuri wanted to hear. Apparently, Shinou wasn't on his side. The teen blushed profusely and looked away, then suddenly made a double take back at Miko.

"Mom! Look at the road!" Panic swelled in his chest as the road began to disappear. He opened his mouth, preparing to shout, but it never came. Jennifer turned the steering wheel rapidly, practically causing the car to flip over. In the process to getting back on the road, Yuuri was tossed onto his side, his head slamming into the soft leather seat. To make matters worse, Wolfram landed on top of him, knocking the wind out of the Maou. As soon as their bodies collided, the blonde's eyes flashed open. Porcelain skin turned scarlet at quickly as Yuuri could blink his eyes, and Wolfram quickly scrambled off of him.

Yuuri gasped, flooding the air back into his lungs, and sat up. On the far side of the car was the demon blonde, staring at Yuuri as if he were a ghost.

"… What…" Wolfram began, but then closed his mouth. It seemed like that was all he was going to say. He was utterly baffled. Whatever embarrassment Yuuri had felt melted away into concern.

"Hey, are you feeling okay?" Ebony eyes met emerald ones for a short moment, and the teen could see the fire rise in them again.

"Have you no morals?!" Wolfram angrily shouted; Yuuri flinched at his tone. "Just _what_ do you think you were doing?"

"It wasn't me, it was the car!" Yuuri countered as Wolfram turned away. _Besides, you would've liked it if I _had _done something, _the Maou added inwardly.

"Humph." The demon decided not to argue anymore. Yuuri thought he would embrace the silence, but instead, it felt awkward. The only noise he could hear was the steady rumbling of the engine. Eventually, the car ride from hell ended, and Yuuri quickly hopped out of the car. Wolfram had been more silent than he could ever remember. The blonde fiddled with his side of the door for a moment, before Yuuri had to open it for him; even then he stepped out and crossed his arms, trying to keep what little shred of dignity he had left.

Jennifer pulled a few groceries from the trunk of the car and called over her shoulder, "Yu-chan, you two should find a change of clothes before you get sick! I'll come get you when dinner's ready. And don't worry about supper! I always get extra, just in case you come home! Oh, Sho-chan will be so excited to see you here!"

Yuuri nodded occasionally, and then swiftly herded Wolfram into the house and into his room before his mom could find anything else to say.

"That was a close one," the teen muttered, shutting the door softly behind them. He made his way to a dresser, tentatively peeking into one of the drawers as if he had never seen it before. Wolfram glanced over his shoulder – catching a faint glimpse of a small, black article of clothing – and instantly decided that the walls were more interesting. Yuuri sifted through the drawers for a moment and hauled out two pairs of matching pajamas.

"Here. Sorry it's not what you usually wear, but you'll just have to bear with it," _No normal guy would have those pajamas!_ He added silently. The blonde received them without much complaint. Yuuri guessed it was because the two of them would be matching. He shrugged it off, too tired to care what anyone thought at the moment. Stifling a yawn, the teen began to change, with Wolfram following suit.

After all the two had been through, Yuuri had altogether given up making Wolfram sleep outside of his bedroom. Changing in front of him was another concept that he dismissed, and the routine became casual. Besides, baseball teammates changed in the same locker room and that wasn't much different. The blonde didn't seem to mind either; he had his back turned to the teen, just in case he felt the need for privacy. Yuuri didn't mind the other's presence, as long as he didn't catch the demon acting funny or get any weird ideas himself.

* * *

Meanwhile, the soukoku brother in the household had paused his latest dating simulation game upon hearing footsteps. He half-expected that it was Jennifer calling him down, but the silence that followed suggested something else.

Shori was no fool. It only took a moment's contemplation for him to figure out whose footsteps those belonged to, especially at this hour. _Yu-chan!_ But why hadn't he greeted his precious older brother? The young man frowned and pushed up his glasses; the glare they casted appeared unsettling. One thing was for sure: if Yuuri wasn't going to acknowledge Shori, then he would make his presence be known. Shori rose from his seat, opened his door, and strode down the hall until he was standing in front of his little brother's room.

"Yu-chan! Welcome home!" Without thinking, Shori had opened the door, revealing Yuuri and Wolfram both half-exposed. A fresh wave of blood washed over their faces, changing the color to a matching deep crimson. Shori, too, was red-faced, and a small trickle of red liquid forced its way through his nose. The trio just stood there in an embarrassed silence for a moment, each one having a different fear playing through their minds.

Then Shori was the one to break the silence,"Y-yu-chan! How _could_ you?! You're too young!" He sounded horrified, like what he was making of the situation was one of his worst nightmares.

Yuuri's eyes widened even more – if that was possible – and the only two words he could think of flew out, "Get out!" What was with his family, or everyone, for that matter?! Did they all think he was some kind of pervert or something?

When his brother still hadn't moved, Yuuri found the closest object to his hands, a nearby book, and hurled it at him.

"Get out!" The Maou repeated. The paperback collided with its target head on, causing Shori to stumble backwards. Yuuri took the opportunity to stagger to the door – without tripping over his un-zipped pants – and lock it. The teen inhaled a deep breath to calm himself, but his voice still trembled when he spoke, "There… He won't come back now."

"Why hadn't you done that in the first place?!" Wolfram yelped. He was clearly just as embarrassed as Yuuri, but his own voice refused to quiver.

"Like I knew that was going to happen!" the Maou retorted, exasperated. Secretly, he was hoping that Shori would never realize he was there at least until morning. Now, not only was his presence known, but he was positive that his crazy brother would trail him like a vulture to road kill. He could almost say he was envious of Wolfram. The blonde had two older brothers, both of them perfectly sensible and who minded their own business.

Shaking off his feeling of dread, Yuuri decided to change the subject.

"Anyways…" He began, rapidly switching pants and putting a shirt on, as if Shori would appear again at any second, "What are we going to do about getting back to Shin Makoku?"

"What do you mean? Can't we just go back like you usually do? It's not like this is the first time you've moved between worlds," Wolfram snorted. It was obvious what he was trying to do.

"Well… That's when Murata was there to guide our souls back. I'm not sure I can do it by myself…"

The teen had a point. Wolfram had no idea what powers the mysterious sage used, besides those that aided Yuuri when he became the Maou. He seemed like the kind of person who liked to keep a lot of secrets. The blonde sighed and pulled his arms through the borrowed pajama's sleeves.

"Look, you don't need to worry about that now. Conrad and the others can survive without you for a little while." – Yuuri couldn't help but catch the sarcasm in his friend's tone – "Right now, you need to rest. I can't be sure that that hangover won't come back." Wolfram did _not_ want to repeat this night's events again. Too much had gone on; hopefully everything could be cleared up in the morning and things would, more or less, go back to normal.

Yuuri contemplated for a long moment, and finally nodded. To be honest, he never thought that he would be agreeing with the demon so easily on anything.

"Fine. " Yuuri muttered hesitantly, "Maybe we can try in the morning…" He added, more to himself than Wolfram. It wasn't even the thought that everyone in Shin Makoku must be worried that motivated him; it was the sense that something bad would happen if he stayed with his insane family for much longer. Although in the other world he had a lot more responsibility, Yuuri had to admit he was grateful that it dragged him away from his relatives long enough so that he didn't turn into one of them. He repressed a shudder at the thought of calling his brother 'Oni-chan', his mother 'Mama', wearing that ridiculous pink apron that Murata sometimes donned when he helped in the kitchen…

A movement snapped the teen back to reality, just in time for him to see Wolfram hauling himself into bed. The blonde lifted up the covers and hid himself under them, poking out his golden hair after a short pause to fix Yuuri with a stare.

"Are you coming or not?" Yuuri wandered to Wolfram's side at the question, and tried to fit himself into the bed that was originally only meant for one person. There was almost no doubt in the teen's mind that he would taste the floor tonight. He squeezed into a small space, his back touching Wolfram's, and it wasn't long before he heard the other's steady breathing. Yuuri didn't realize how tired he was until he landed on the soft mattress; after staring around the dark room for a few seconds, his eyes shut on their own accord and he didn't fight it. Both of them went without supper that night.

* * *

"Your majesty? Your majesty?!" Günter's desperate calls echoed throughout the seemingly endless walls of the castle. He had searched for Yuuri all morning, who had neglected to show up for their daily study session. When he asked Gwendal, the stoic mazoku simply shrugged and told him that he hadn't seen so much as a lock of black hair or a flash of dark eyes. It wasn't unusual for the teen to hide from them, but by this time he normally would've either been caught or given up running. Günter searched the library, scrutinizing every nook and cranny in case Yuuri was there. Finding no evidence that he was there – the teen would sometimes hide behind a bookshelf in a hasty attempt to escape the administrators – the dramatic man spun in a small circle of defeat and gracefully landed in a chair.

"Oh… "He moaned, as if he were in pain. Then he straightened up in his seat. "Conrad!" the long haired mazoku suddenly exclaimed. He would know where Yuuri was, and even if he didn't, he would probably be a good reassurance and helpfully point out a place he hadn't searched yet. Günter burst through the door, almost bowling Conrad over when he rounded a corner.

"Conrad!" Günter exclaimed, before the other had a chance to speak, "I was just looking for you." The anxiety was obvious in his voice, earning him a sympathetic look.

"What's wrong?"

"It's his majesty…! I can't seem to find him anywhere!"

"Oh? Is it that time again?" Conrad joked, suppressing an amused chuckle.

"But this time it's _different_! I've looked _everywhere_!" the administrator wailed, his violet eyes pleading. Conrad placed a hand under his chin in a thoughtful position. It looked like Günter was being serious. Come to think of it, the brunette soldier hadn't recalled seeing either Yuuri or Wolfram since the night before, and they were acting strangely… A smile tugged at his lips as Conrad fought to maintain his usual calm, secretive composure. Günter was not going to enjoy what he was about to say next.

"Actually, I haven't seen his majesty or Wolfram at all this morning," Günter froze and the color drained from his face, as if he had seen Shinou break dancing right in front of them.

"Y-you don't mean…?" He trailed off, unable to finish his sentence as his world turned black and he dramatically crumpled to the floor. One last thought terrifying thought echoed around the long haired mazoku's mind before he kissed the dirt. _Elope?!_

Conrad's innocent humor ended abruptly there; he stared apologetically at the now silent heap before him.

"Ah, I must've over done it. I'm sorry," the brunette soldier told lump in the ground, then momentarily left to find some kind of aid or Gisela.

Opposite from the direction Conrad had departed, a silhouette leaned against the sturdy castle wall, staring at the scene with interest. He raised his glasses to the bridge of his nose, the shift causing an ominous glare to settle on them.

"Hm…" Murata Ken mumbled thoughtfully, staring at something in front of him as if another presence were there.

"… This should be interesting."

* * *

I hope this chapter was alright, especially considering how ridiculously long it took me to finish. I'm also getting ideas for a plot? Feel free to drop a suggestion or a review, in any case.

The beginning of chapter four will be very interesting. -hint- ;D


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